Well, I finally got around to catching a moment when my new counter was relatively clean, so I can share a couple quick pictures with you!

This is the kinda rough, but very functional counter we added. The fridge used to stand where Oliver is in here, making those upper cupboards basically unusable. This arrangement makes the walking space wider and gives the freezer, recycling and potato bins a place to be, out of the way. I'm standing in the rest of the kitchen, by the sink and stove to take this picture. The whole kitchen area is probably about 8x3ft, and the dining area is just large enough for the table, chairs and benches. (I would show you pictures, but it might be *ahem, cough* a little messier, heh.)Putting the fridge in the corner takes it out of the way.

The change was relatively simple, and well worth the effort!

Well, well...

I just found out that my settings were such that any 'anonymous' of you out there couldn't post comments. It should be fixed, so post away, post away!! :) That better, Ann??

Can you guess my news????

These two are gettin' married, these two are gettin' married!!

I'm purely excited for them, and now I don't have to correct Oliver when he calls Russ 'Unc.'

Beware:

A bottomless pit and a monkeyclimber reside at this house.

The elder no more than climbed down from the lunch table (which, I might add, he ate quite well) walked into the living room, turned around, came back, and asked for a snack. I held out for two hours. And since then he's had a fig newton bar, numerous carrots, a little bit of green apple pop, multiple saltine crackers, some tea....

This morning, I pulled out the next size of clothes for that one. Must be growing or something.

The other spent the whole morning checking the top surface of everything she could. The main goal was simply to go up. Luckily, I was able to revive my contacts after she got done dumping them on the floor...

She's 16 months old, and I can only imagine how peaceful it would be if she hadn't started walking half her life ago already. She hasn't stopped since. Scolding her barely phases her, she just smiles and trundles along her merry way, hauling along whatever might come in handy for climbing upwards....totes, chairs, stools, you name it.

It's snowing. Again. *sigh* If you're looking for me, I might be busy. Clinging to my last bits of sanity. For dear life.

Wednesday's Very Random Bullets

• The roads this morning-they were icy nasty.
• And yesterday? They were slushy nasty. Eric got stuck just down the road.
• Two tag-alongs makes for interesting ditch rescue.
• The older enjoyed it, cuz a tractor was involved.
• The younger just tolerated.
• They both were dripping, actually dripping, when they came in.
• That's odd for February in Minnesota.
• Whatdaya think of that mom of octuplets in CA?
• She thinks she can take care of them all by herself.
• Huh. I like sleep to much to think that.
• There's a V-day party in this neck of the woods Friday.
• The hubby has to work. Imagine that.
• Might hit it up myself. How fitting for the holiday.
• There's a Jodi Picoult book on the arm of my chair-
• Hopefully its as good as some others of hers
• Now, to spend the morning reading! (one thing I do like about my job. heh.)
  

Hope your morning is as peaceful as mine looks to be-

A few warm fuzzies to end the day

This sweet little boy I know just informed me "you not a mean mom, you a nice mom." "Oh, really?" I asked. "Yeah. Give me five!" he responded, "and a hug and a kiss!"

This started with a discussion of which tape he wanted to listen to: Cinderella or Robin Hood. That led to the telling of his version of Cinderella: "and den, and den, an den she fell down down the steps, and she had a mean mom..."

Even before that, we were waddling like ducks and singing "a boy song," and "a grandpa song" and "a cow song" (kinda taxed my song-making skills, but they didn't mind if they made sense.)

Now isn't that just the best way to end a day?

Sunday rolls around

And I end up at work. The morning was just getting started, I had just begun to crack the eggs for Pannakukku and the phone rang. A nurse was sick, and a house needed covering-could I do it? I moaned. I groaned. I said, "am I the only one left??" I guess so, because here I am.

So much for church and a round of wallyball later today. Humpf.

On the other hand, the house was descending into a state of chaos the longer I stayed around. Oliver didn't make it to the potty in time, Elsa was happy only if I held her. Eric made the mistake of mentioning that I was leaving for work half an hour before I did, so the rest of the time Oliver was about one foot away, worried that he wouldn't get his hug before I left.

But, the Pannakukku sure was yummy.

Saturday was what I would call a productive day. We got the afore mentioned kitchen 'remodel' done, and I think it's going to be as great as I hoped. It did turn out different than I pictured, but that's usually the case in this place. We didn't end up using the plywood covered with vinyl I had envisioned, Eric's dad had an old solid wood door we used for the countertop. Much more sturdy. (Anyone need a 3x9 piece of linoleum?) I also got the freezers defrosted and a lot of decluttering done in the process. There's still some figuring to do, all that comes with the territory of a new system. So far, this change is good.

No pictures yet, just haven't gotten there. Funny aside: Elsa slept through the 3 hour project, and when she woke up she walked into the kitchen, peered around, then went over to the fridge started patting it and chuckling. 'Hmm,' she was thinking, 'knew something was different!'

I even got a chance to go visit a few out of town friends. All in all, Saturday was good.